


In The Time of War

by DestielWeasley



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25421698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestielWeasley/pseuds/DestielWeasley
Summary: Happiness is a very brief event for the Marauders and their friends who found one moment of joy while the world cascaded down around them
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	In The Time of War

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote a while ago, found it again, and decided to post it

“Aurora,” he whispered with a teary smile as he held the tiny bundle in his arms with a heart full of love. Remus Lupin looked at the woman in the bed next to him and gently kissed her forehead, “She’s gorgeous Marlene.”

“She really is,” Lily Evans murmured from behind Remus. She hadn’t seen him this happy since Harry was born.

“Just look at her,” said Shachi Mehta from Marlene’s other side, removing the scrubs she was wearing when she helped Marlene give birth. “You’re gonna be a heartbreaker, Rory. Just like your papa. She sent a wink to Remus who still refused to hand over the baby to anyone else.

Marlene sighed, “I wish her dad was here to see her.”

“You’d think Remus was her dad, the way he’s hogging her,” Fabian Prewett grumbled, as Remus foiled his attempt at taking the baby from his arms.

“Oh please Fab, we all know I’m gonna be her favourite adult,” the werewolf laughed, “Padfoot and Marls can’t raise a child alone anyway.”

“Where are Padfoot and Prongs anyway?” Peter asked Lily, as he made faces at the little girl who was now finally being cuddled by her.

“At Augusta’s, they went to drop Harry at her house as she’s taking Neville for a couple of days too. She figured they could have a playdate and I could spend a few hours here.”

“Yeah, sure, that’s the reason they’re hopping at people’s homes. Not because Paddy wants to tell the world about the existence of the proof that he once had sex with Marlene McKinnon,” Gideon snickered from next to Shachi., causing everyone to laugh and Marlene to shake her head fondly, still too tired to offer more than a weary smile at the joke.

Just then the door to the room opened to allow James and Sirius, who both looked worse for the wear. Sirius was sporting a black eye but looked relatively unharmed. James, on the other hand, had a split lip, a limp as he walked, and a large gash running down the length of his forearm. They were both covered in dust, dirt, and had gained a few rips on their clothes. Everyone in the room stared at them until James stumbled over to the couch in the room and fell on it with Sirius’s help.

Shachi hurried over to James and started casting a few healing spells. Remus left the room and was back in under a minute with Murtlap essence while Fabian conjured an ice pack for Sirius’s eye. Gideon now held baby Aurora, who was fast asleep.

James jaw was clenched, face set, hard as stone. Sirius’ eyes were brimming with tears. No one dared to ask them a single thing. Remus finally put a hand on the latters shoulder and turned him around. He collapsed onto his boyfriend, sobbing. The werewolf’s arms immediately enveloped him of their own accord as he held him close, shushing and swaying him from side to side.

Lily pried her hand out of Marlene’s grasp and rushed over to a now healed James just as Shachi left his side to run her fingers through Sirius’ hair, her heart breaking for the man who was her brother in all but blood.

A few moments passed with not a word being uttered.

Marlene ended up being the one to ask what they all wanted to, “what happened?”

James leaned into Lily and finally spoke, “We went to Alice and Frank’s house but Augusta had just left with Neville. So Sirius disapparated with Harry, while I stayed to chat with the Longbottoms for a bit. The door was broken down. The Lestrange brothers, Barty Crouch Jr.,” James paused to look at Sirius who was still shaking in his boyfriends arms, “and Bellatrix entered. By the time Padfoot was back, I had been knocked out cold. He got into a fist fight with Rabastan who had disarmed him. It was too late. Frank and Alice had been repeatedly hit by the Cruciatus. They were barely stirring when I woke up.”

Lily had tears streaming down her face, Marlene’s hand had covered her mouth to stifle a gasp earlier and she looked like she was now using her fist to stifle her sobs. Remus and Shachi just cocooned Sirius tighter.

James finally looked at Fabian and Gideon, “I’m sorry we couldn’t so more,”

Alice was their cousin. Fabian shook his head and walked out of the room. Lily jumped out of James’ arms and went behind him.

“It’s not your fault boys,” Gideon told them as he cradled Aurora tighter to his chest for a moment before handing her over to Marlene. He nudged Sirius, “go meet your baby girl”

“Is she already here?” He asked from Remus’ shoulder.

Shachi gently turned him around and led him to Marlene’s bed so he could hold his daughter. For the briefest of moments the pain vanished from his eyes to be replaced with pure, unadulterated joy.

“Aurora Alice Black, you beautiful girl. You will live through this war. As your father and protector, I promise you this.”

A few months later, came the fateful day of Halloween.

It was a week after the deaths of the McKinnons. Marlene’s parents were slaughtered in Diagon Alley in broad daylight. Three days later, she was found dead in her flat along with her twin brother, Adam. Neither hide nor hair was seen of Sirius and Shachi. Peter was in hiding. Fabian and Gideon were missing, rumoured to be dead. Remus had Aurora safe in his and Sirius’ house.

It had been four days since James had seen Sirius, six days since Lily had heard Marlene’s voice. The Potters walked around their little home in Godric’s Hollow weary and exhausted. James jumped as a patronus materialized into the room. It spoke in the voice of Auror Moody, his boss.

“Shachi Mehta is dead. Body blown into pieces. Suspect Mulciber and Dolohov. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HOUSE.”

James crumpled to the floor in tears. Lily broke whatever she saw. She fell on her knees next to James, put her arms around him and cried as she thought of the memories she shared with her best friend over the last few years. Halloween was not a happy holiday that year.

Harry’s cries snapped them back to the present. James walked to the nursery while Lily started repairing the results of her destruction, vanishing whatever couldn’t be fixed. Not for the first time that week she wondered if she could simply vanish her heart. They spent the evening playing with their son in the living room. Harry always loved the bright, multi-coloured smoke James excelled in making out of thin air.

A few hours later, Sirius Black rushed into the house, barely looking at the broken door. He fell onto his knees besides the lifeless body of his best friend. His heart was caught in his throat. He couldn’t bear to think of the man he spent the last ten years of his life with as dead. He gently closed Prongs’ eyes, straightened his crooked spectacles and with more courage than he ever thought he could muster, turned his back on James Potter’s body.

“Not Lily, please not Lilypad,” he muttered to himself as he ran up the stairs to Harry’s nursery. He blanched at the sight in front of him. Red hair framed the angelic face of Lily Evans-Potter, her expression contorted into one of horror. It took him an unbelievable amount of control to close her eyes, pat down her hair, and kiss her forehead. He had to be strong for Harry who had miraculously survived with nothing more than a scar on his forehead. Sirius picked up the crying infant and rushed out to his motorbike, wanting to get his beloved godson to safety.

“Give him to me, Sirius. He has to live with his aunt and uncle. Professor Dumbledore’s orders,” a shaky, well-known voice said from beside him. It was Hagrid, dabbing his eyes with a tablecloth sized handkerchief.

“Hagrid, he’s my godson. Him and Rory are all I have left. Please.”

“I’m sorry Sirius, but I have to,” Hagrid patted his shoulder.

Sirius knew there was no point fighting Hagrid. Dumbledore would always have his way. He kissed Harry’s cheeks and hands.

“Uncle Padfoot loves you,” he whispered in the boy’s ear before handing him over to Hagrid grudgingly. A dark shadow passed over his handsome face. He said suddenly in a steely voice, “you can take my motor cycle Hagrid. I won’t need it where I’m going. I have a rat to hunt.”

One week later, Remus Lupin finally broke. He had tried his hardest to keep it together but he couldn’t. His friends were dead, tortured, or missing. The man he loved had betrayed them all. The only thread he had that bound him to sanity was Rory; but the ministry refused to let her stay with him. Werewolves weren’t allowed to raise children. It also ruled against him that he was young, didn’t have a steady job yet, and was known to have been friends with notorious war criminal, mass murderer Sirius Black.

He had just come home from signing some papers over at the Ministry as Aurora’s last living guardian, and he was handing her over to some rich, pureblood family. It pained him to think of Sirius Black’s daughter living with high-and-mighty purebloods. It pained him to think of Sirius Black, period. He couldn’t believe that he had been so wrong about the man who was once called the prince of Gryffindor.

These purebloods seemed to be good enough though. They were neutral in the war, and had no history of dark entanglements or crimes. He had given Aurora over to an elegant woman wearing crimson robes and a pearl necklace. The woman’s eyes had lit up as she cooed at Rory. A two year old girl was in her father’s arms, giggling with delight at the prospect of having a younger sister.

In that instance, Remus knew that Rory would be alright. Maybe she would find Harry at Hogwarts and they would get to know each other well- the only family they had- as he would not be allowed to contact either of the children again. He kissed the golden- brown hair on her head and looked into her eyes, Sirius’ eyes, one last time before he turned away and left, not bothering to hide his tears.

The three month old girl was a little younger than Harry Potter and would now be known as Astoria Greengrass.


End file.
